The present invention relates to the field of electrical connections and more particularly to enclosures for spliced cable connections such as telephone wires.
It is common in the telephone industry, where cable splices need to be made along the path of distribution, that splices be made which will include some type of an electrical connection to splice the individual wires of the cable and environmentally seal them in a connection enclosure to prevent degradation to the connection. This type of splice could be either a so-called drop wire splice or could be a buried splice in the case of underground cable. It is also common to have either two or six pairs of twisted wire, which comprise the telephone cable.
As in almost any enclosure, it is requisite that the enclosure be latched together in a fixed relation. This is required for several reasons. First the contact system between the commoning of the ground may be degraded if the enclosure is not fully closed. Secondly, the strain relief system, if based upon the full closure, may also be degraded if not properly closed. And finally, most systems are sealed with a gel or grease which must be contained within the enclosure.
One such device is shown in the Tyco Electronics (AMP Division) commercial product known as the CERTI-SEAL Wire Splice Enclosure (for 2- to 6-pair buried drop wire splice) where the housing is formed as a shell of two similar halves, where the enclosure is defined by two housing halves integrally joined at a hinged seam. The edges of the halves also include snap latches which snap together when the two housing halves are fully closed. Splice connection blocks known as TEL-SPLICE (also a commercial of Tyco Electronics) then interconnect the individual wires to one another for making the individual wire splices. One of the shortcomings of this system is that the only retention between the housing halves is through the hinges, which by necessity is somewhat weak, due to its inherent need to be flexible. If this hinge were to break, then the alignment of the two housing halves is difficult to replicate, as there is now no connection between the housing halves. The gel or grease within the enclosure causes the two halves to float relative to each other, making it difficult to latch.
The objects of the invention have been accomplished by providing an electrical connector of the type for interconnecting at least two wires, comprising an enclosure having at least two housing parts hinged together along one edge thereof. The hinged side edge further comprises a latch assembly comprised of a projection and a complementary receiving opening, whereupon the projection rotates into the opening upon closure of the housing parts, retaining the two housing parts together.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the projection is profiled as an arcuately shaped wall, which rotates into the opening. The arcuately shaped wall has an inner surface facing the hinged side edge, and the opening is elongate and has a surface contoured to receive the inner surface. The arcuately shaped wall also has a rigidifying rib extending from one of the housing parts, interconnecting the inner surface with the one housing part. Preferably, the elongate opening is T-shaped to include a portion of the opening to receive the rigidifying rib. Also preferably, the one conductive contact member is positioned in at least one housing part to make electrical contact with a conductor of a cable upon closure, the arcuately shaped wall being profiled to engage the inner surface and remove load from the hinge, prior to the conductive contact making contact with the cable.
In another aspect of the invention, an electrical connector enclosure has two housing parts, which rotate relative to each other along a first side edge thereof. The housing parts having a latch assembly comprised of an arcuate latching member positioned on a first housing part which cooperates with a complementary surface on the second housing part, upon relative rotation therebetween, and progressively transfers load from the first side edge to the latch assembly upon closure thereof.
In the preferred embodiment, the two housing parts are integrally connected along the first side edge, and the arcuate latching member is defined by an arcuately shaped projection, which is slidably received under, and engages against, the complementary surface. Preferably, the complementary surface is positioned on an opening, which cooperates with the projection. Also preferably, the arcuately shaped projection is an elongate wall that curves towards the first side edge. The arcuate shaped projection has a rigidifying rib, which extends between the arcuately shaped projection and the housing part. The opening is T-shaped to include an elongate opening portion to receive the arcuately shaped projection and a transverse portion, which receives the rib. The latch assembly is positioned proximate the first side edge, and the connector includes a second snap latch latching assembly on a second side edge opposite the first side.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, an electrical connector housing comprises two housing parts which rotate relative to each other along a hinged side edge, the two housing parts each having an upper face which, when closed, abut each other. One of the housing parts includes an arcuately shaped projection positioned on the upper face proximate to, and extending substantially parallel to, the hinged side edge. The arcuately shaped projection curves towards the hinged side edge and extends along a radius of curvature defined by a radius equal to the radial distance of the arcuately shaped projection to the hinged side edge. The housing also includes an opening profiled to receive the arcuately shaped projection.
In the preferred embodiment, the projection is profiled as an arcuately shaped wall, which rotates into the opening. The arcuately shaped wall has an inner surface facing the hinged side edge, and the opening is elongate and has a surface contoured to receive the inner surface. The arcuately shaped wall has a rigidifying rib extending from one of the housing parts, interconnecting the inner surface with the one housing part. The elongate opening is T-shaped to include a portion of the opening to receive the rigidifying rib. The connector has at least one conductive contact member positioned in at least one housing part to make electrical contact with a conductor of a cable upon closure, and the other housing part has a cable receiving section for receiving said cable. The arcuately shaped wall is profiled to engage the inner surface and begins to transfer load from the hinge, prior to the conductive contact making contact with the cable.
The preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of reference to the following drawings.